Previews

Beowulf

Spiffy:

Looks like it gets all medieval on the GRAW engine to deliver a next-gen hack 'n slash action experience to the masses.

Iffy:

No hands-on yet; lit to film to game is a bigger hurdle than your usual superhero movie tie-ins.

We can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Our first glimpse of Ubisoft's adaptation of Robert Zemeckis' upcoming cinematic reinterpreting of "Beowulf" -- shouldn't we just starting calling these LFGs (Lit to Film to Game)? -- occurred all the way back in mid-May during a pre-E3 event. Getting to see an early build was akin to joining a secret society in which we were marked with the blood of a freshly sacrificed... err, anyway. It was very much behind closed doors, and we had to sign multiple NDAs for the demos we checked out. That's Hollywood for you. So, with today's official unveiling of the movie at Comic-Con, we're finally able to unzip our lips and talk about what Ubisoft Tiwak has been hard at work on.

Younger readers might not be as familiar with the old English epic poem of valor, courage, bravery, and (lots of) bloodshed, but most high school grads should remember at least minimal parts of the story. It turns out that you might not see that level of brutality from Zemeckis' film or the game, but there's certainly plenty of combat to go around. The film will feature a star-studded cast, including Ray Winstone as the titular hero, Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother, John Malkovich as Unferth, and Brendan Gleeson as Wiglaf. At E3 we only saw lots of concept art and a behind-the-scenes video, but it seems that Zemeckis' film will emulate the hybrid animation/live actor technique used in his previous "The Polar Express."

As for Beowulf: The Game, it's under development in Ubi's Tiwak studios, which are in the south of France. Under the hood it's running on the YETI engine, which has powered both of the GRAW titles. In regard to storyline, much of the game will fill in gaps of the film's plot. You'll see Beowulf go from young warrior to respected leader to venerated king and general throughout the thirty-year span of the tale. Although we haven't had the chance to play it yet, it looks a lot like a next-gen hack n' slash title, as one would expect from an epic poem about warfare. Considering that we haven't seen much of the genre on Xbox 360, and Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom didn't exactly fill the void on PS3, this could be a welcome entry for fans of this type of game.

As Beowulf, you'll battle through hoards of monsters in a quest to free Denmark from the clutches of the wicked dragon Grendel (and ultimately his mother, who's even worse). You'll have a loyal group of thanes that will fight alongside you throughout the years. It's a bit reminiscent of some of the squads in GRAW, although perhaps a bit muddier-looking, and likely with larger numbers to manage; you'll have anywhere from four to fifteen thanes within your ranks.

There's a condition to it all, however. Unlike Scott Mitchell and his squadrons, you'll have to deal with morale here. If you're separated from your men on a map and they should encounter a battle, you'll hear them screaming at you to hurry over. If you're a disappointing leader, they'll let you know, and might not be as cooperative with you. You'll also be able to rally your men and hype them up for battle, which will boost morale and increase their confidence in you.

Most of the action seems to center around grabs and slashes. You'll have two attack types, but for a character with the strength of thirty men, it's likely an asset to reach out and touch someone. The grab attacks do significant damage compared to simple sword swings. The game's central experience, however, will hinge upon choice. You can either play as a heroic or a carnal warrior. Despite all of the lofty talk about the dichotomy between good and evil, between selflessness and falling into temptation, it basically means this: throughout the game, you'll build up a meter that gives you temporary bursts of invincibility that will pretty much let you kill anything that moves. Considering that Beowulf has the strength of thirty men, that's awfully powerful. It comes at a cost, however.